Department of Religious Studies

“Inquisition, Identity, And Spiritual Authenticity In The Life of Teresa of Avila”
The fifteenth century saw the breakdown of the peaceful coexistence of Jews, Christians, and Muslims in Spain and culminated in the creation of the Spanish Inquisition and the expulsion of the Jewish population in 1492. Dr. Gillian T. W. Ahlgren’s lecture will explore the early years of the Inquisition, and Teresa of Avila’s creative and spirited defense of interior life.

Thursday December 1, 2005 at 7:30pm in Iona College’s Ryan Library Auditorium




Earlier this semester --

“The Renaissance of a Survivor: An Evening Of Art, Song, and Reflection With Judith Goldstein”
Artist, musician and Holocaust survivor, Judith Goldstein, will use slides of her art and offer selections from her musical compositions as she reflects on living through the deep sorrows of the Holocaust, the empathetic solidarity with those experiencing subsequent human tragedies, and the necessity to discover joy again.

Wednesday September 21, 2005 at 7:00pm in Iona College’s Joyce Auditorium

“To Build the Earth: A Proposal for Teilhardian Politics”
Political Analyst and Strategist Dick Morris will be discussing Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, the visionary French Jesuit, paleontologist, biologist, and philosopher, who spent most of his life trying to integrate religious experience with natural science, most specifically Christian theology with theories of evolution. In this endeavor he developed a profound sense of the divine in the evolution of spirit and matter throughout the universe, and became deeply enthralled with the possibilities for humankind, which he saw as heading toward an "Omega point" where the coalescence of consciousness would lead us to a new state of peace and planetary unity - and he saw this unity as being based intrinsically upon the spirit of the Earth.

Joining us for the evening will be Nobel Laureate Mairead Maguire.

Tuesday September 27, 2005 at 7:30pm in Iona College’s Spellman Lounge

“Are There Any Lay People Any More? The Truth About Baptismal Priesthood”
Dr. Paul Lakeland will give a presentation discussing the importance of baptism in relation to mission, the relationship between the baptismal and the ordained ministry, and the implications for the present and future Catholic Church.

Thursday October 6, 2005 at 12:00pm in Iona College’s Ryan Library Auditorium

Shared Root Series – “Looking Back, Looking Forward: 40 Years After Nostra Aetate, The Declaration On The Church’s Relationship To Non-Christian Religions”
Join us as we commemorate the 40th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, the document that repudiated anti-Semitism and the ancient Christ-killer charge. Dr. Paul F. Knitter and Rabbi A. James Rudin will guide us through the development of the document, reflect on the current state of Jewish-Catholic relations, and make some projections for the future of inter-religious dialogue.

Thursday November 3, 2005 at 7:45pm in Iona College’s Spellman Hall

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